You are on page 1of 13

Environmental Impact Assessment

(A3151)

MODULE I
UNIT I
A country’s prosperity is defined on the basis of it’s
infrastructure.
In order to develop the infra structure, lot of challenges has to
be undertaken in all the aspects such as economical,
environmental etc., to maintain the ecological balance.
It is necessary to understand the links between environment and
development in order to make the development chances that will
be economically efficient , socially equitable and responsible and
environmentally sound.

what is an eco system?


STRUCTURE OF ECO SYSTEM
In order to maintain the ecological balance and
healthy lives of the people, an assessment has to be
made before starting A major project or to assess an
impact on existing project.

NEPA(National Environmental Policy Act) called for:


Consideration of environmental values in decision making use
of a systematic, interdisciplinary approach a detailed
statement on the environmental impact of proposals
- any adverse effects which cannot be avoided
- alternatives to the proposed action
- making the statement available to the public
This process is widely known as Environmental Impact
Assessment
Evolution of EIA

early 1970s – initial development


1970s to 1980s – increasing scope
mid to late 1980s – process
strengthening and policy integration
mid 1990s – towards sustainability
EIA– Three core values

Integrity - the EIA process will conform to agreed standards


Utility - the EIA process will provide balanced, credible
information for decision-making
Sustainability - the EIA process will result in environmental
safeguards
EIA – guiding principles

The EIA process should be:


Purposive – meeting its aims and objectives
Focused – concentrating on the effects that matter
Adaptive – responding to issues and realities
Participative – fully involving the public
Transparent – clear and easily understood
Rigorous – employing ‘best practicable’ methodology
Practical – establishing mitigation measures that work
Credible – carried out with objectivity and
professionalism
Efficient – imposing least cost burden on proponents
Environmental Impact Assessment

EIA is an activity designed to identify and predict


the impact of a proposed activity / project on bio-
geo-physico-chemical effects on environment and
on human health so as to recommend
appropriate legislative measures, programs and
operational procedures to minimize the effect
Aims and objectives of EIA

EIA can:
modify and improve design
ensure efficient resource use
enhance social aspects
identify key impacts and measures for
mitigating them
 inform decision-making and condition-
setting
avoid serious and irreversible damage to the
environment
protect human health and safety
The EIA process

The EIA process comprises:

Screening - to decide if and at what level EIA should be


applied
Scoping - to identify the important issues and prepare
terms of reference
Impact analysis - to predict the effects of a proposal
and evaluate their significance
Mitigation - to establish measures to prevent, reduce or
compensate for impacts
The EIA process cont..

Reporting - to prepare the information necessary for decision-


making
Review - to check the quality of the EIA report
Decision-making - to approve or reject the proposal and set
conditions
Follow up - to monitor, manage and audit impacts of project
implementation
Public involvement - to inform and consult with stakeholders
Benefits of EIA

Environmentally sound and sustainable design


Better compliance with standards
Savings in capital and operating costs
Reduced time and costs for approvals
Increased project acceptance
Better protection of the environment and human
health
Benefits Flaws
Provides systematic methods of Time-consuming
impact assessment
Estimates the cost/benefit trade-off of Costly
alternative actions
Facilitates the public participation Little public participation in actual
implementation
•Provides an effective mechanism for Unavailability for reliable data (mostly in
coordination developing countries)
•environmental integration
•negotiations
•feed back
Top-level decision making Too focused on scientific analysis
(sometimes)
Triggers an institutional building Poor presentation of EIA report (bulky
volumes, scientific explanation, difficult to
understand)
Achieve a balance between the Compliance monitoring after EIA is seldom
impact of developmental and carried out
environmental concern

You might also like